📒 to place something over or in front of something in order to hide, protect or decorate it
- cover something with something Cover the chicken loosely with foil.
- She covered her face with her hands.
- cover something I covered my mouth to stifle a yawn.
📒 to lie or spread over the surface of something
- cover something Snow covered the ground.
- Much of the country is covered by forest.
- be covered with something Its head, body, and tail are completely covered with brown fur.
📒 to put or spread a layer of liquid, dust, etc. on somebody/something
- cover somebody/something with something The wind blew in from the desert and covered everything with sand.
- cover somebody/something in something Soak the dried mushrooms by covering them in boiling water for a few minutes.
- be covered with something The steps were now completely covered with water.
📒 to include something; to deal with something
- The lectures covered a lot of ground (= a lot of material, subjects, etc.).
- The survey covers all aspects of the business.
- The articles cover a wide range of subjects.
📒 to be or provide enough money for something
- $100 should cover your expenses.
- The show barely covered its costs.
- Your parents will have to cover your tuition fees.
📒 to travel the distance mentioned
- By sunset we had covered thirty miles.
- They walked for a long time and covered a good deal of ground.
- He covered the journey at top speed.
📒 to spread over the area mentioned
- The reserve covers an area of some 1 140 square kilometres.
📒 to report on an event for television, a newspaper, etc.; to show an event on television
- She's covering the party's annual conference.
- The BBC will cover all the major games of the tournament.
- The media has consistently refused to cover the story.
📒 to do somebody’s work or duties while they are away
- I'm covering for Jane while she's on leave.
📒 to invent a lie or an excuse that will stop somebody from getting into trouble
- I have to go out for a minute—will you cover for me if anyone asks where I am?
📒 to protect somebody against loss, injury, etc. by insurance
- cover somebody/something (against/for something) Are you fully covered for fire and theft?
- cover somebody/something to do something Does this policy cover my husband to drive?
- This policy should cover you against accidental injury.
📒 to take action in order to protect yourself against being blamed for something
- Many firms put money aside to cover themselves against possible legal claims.
📒 to protect somebody by threatening to shoot at anyone who tries to attack them
- Cover me while I move forward.
- The artillery gave us covering fire (= shot to protect us).
📒 to aim a gun at a place or person so that nobody can escape or shoot
- The police covered the exits to the building.
- Don't move—we've got you covered!
📒 to record a new version of a song that was originally recorded by another band or singer
- They've covered an old Rolling Stones number.
📒 to consider and deal with all the things that could happen or could be needed when you are arranging something
- I am confident this contract covers all the bases.
📒 to realize that you may be blamed or criticized for something later and take action to avoid this
- Get everything in writing in order to cover your back.
📒 to hide the real situation or facts when these are not good or pleasant
- She was dressed in loose comfortable clothes that hid a multitude of sins.
📒 to try and hide what you have done, because you do not want other people to find out about it
- He had attempted to cover his tracks by wiping the hard disk on his computer.